Unexpected Developments
by Harikari
Summary: Gabriel has a message for Sam. Pre-slash. Spoilers for 5x16.


**Unexpected Developments**  
by Harikari

**Pairing:** Gabriel & Sam  
**Rating:** PG-13  
**Warnings:** Angst, pre-slash, possible strong language and violence.  
**Spoilers:** All the way up to and including 5x16.  
**Disclaimer:** Not mine. I'm just having some non profit fun.  
**Summary:** Gabriel has a message for Sam.  
**AN:** I started writing this after Dark Side of the Moon aired. I just wanted to explore how Sam might be feeling after everything that has happened. The drabble grew and somehow Gabriel wormed his way in, too. This is my first Supernatural fic that isn't a crossover and my first Gabe/Sam. Hope you enjoy. Feedback is much appreciated.

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It hadn't been all him.

It wasn't only _his_ fault. He knew this. Dean had told him this (in a voice that brooked no argument) countless times after the whole Ruby and Lilith and final seal thing. And even Castiel had patted him awkwardly on the shoulder on one particularly depressing day and assured him that even if he had not fallen for Ruby's ruse, even if he had trusted implicitly in his older brother, chances were Hell would have found a way to use him to bring about the apocalypse anyway. Sam didn't have the heart to tell the angel that that particular attempt at comfort had only made him feel worse, so he had just nodded and managed a half smile.

The guilt was heavier now. Now that he and Dean were back from being dead -- from being dead _again_. Now that they both remembered Heaven (and like it wasn't bad enough that he had brought about the apocalypse and was Satan's one true vessel, the few parts of his Heaven he'd had the opportunity to see had only served to hurt Dean's feelings, he couldn't even do _Heaven_ right) and remembered the angel Joshua and remembered God's message to them. _Back off_. Back off.

He was alone. Sitting on his bed in their latest motel room. His computer was on his lap and he was leaning back against the headboard, propped up by a few pillows. He snapped his laptop shut and moved it aside. Sighed and rubbed his eyes. They had not been on a hunt in the two weeks since their deaths and prompt resurrections. And yet Sam was tired. Very tired.

He knew this was because he hadn't been sleeping well. And because he hadn't had much of an appetite. In fact he had eaten so little recently it was starting to show, he was looking thinner and even appeared to be losing some of the muscle he had gained over the years. It was hard to focus on petty little things like getting a good night's sleep or finishing the salad or the sandwich or the cheeseburger Dean usually brought him for lunch. It was hard now for Sam to think about anything other than God's message, Castiel's face when the angel had realized his Father wasn't going to help Team Free Will anymore than he already had and Dean dropping his amulet into the trash.

And yeah, Sam knew that that particular action had been more about his older brother being angry with and losing his already limited faith in God. But Sam couldn't help the uncomfortable knot that formed in his stomach every time he thought about Dean tossing a gift _he_ had given him as a child, a gift with history and _weight_ into the garbage.

"Whoa," came a dangerously familiar voice suddenly and from somewhere to his left. In a flash Sam turned and reached for the large hunting knife he kept under his pillow, slid over so that he was sitting on the side of the bed with his shoes planted on the carpet. He didn't move to stand up. Just held his knife firm and stared at the intruder. It was the Trickster... It was the archangel _Gabriel_ standing near the end of Dean's bed. The angel had his hands on his hips and was shaking his head. "Somebody open a window and let some of the _angst_ out."

"What do you want?" demanded Sam. He was at a loss. He didn't know what to do. Here was an archangel who had admitted to wanting the apocalypse to happen, and soon. A very powerful archangel who wanted Sam and Dean to say _yes_ already and who Sam was (he hated even to think it but knew from experience it was all too true) helpless against.

"What do _I_ want?" Gabriel frowned. "Apparently that doesn't matter. I mean, here I was all ready for the family to fight it out. Ready for all of this to be over with. And then Joshua comes along and tells me I can't sit back and enjoy the show after all. Can you believe it?" He snorted, then started to slowly amble about the room. He went to the window and looked out into the parking lot, walked over to the single little wooden table with the two chairs in the corner next to the television and knocked his knuckles on it.

Sam blinked. Slowly. "What?" It didn't make sense, what the angel had just said. What was this about Joshua? And why exactly wasn't Sam stuck in some fake and creepy television world by now? Or in another horrible version of Groundhog Day? Why wasn't the angel trying to torture him in strange and unusual ways in order to get him to say yes to Lucifer? He tried a different question. "How did you find me? I thought Castiel...he made it so none of you could find us."

Gabriel stopped his ambling and looked at him. His frown slid slowly into a smile. "What are you going to do with that, Sammy?" He gestured toward the weapon Sam was still gripping.

Sam looked down at his...candy bar. What had been one of his favorite knives only moments before was now a Twix. Angry now, he made a growling sound and threw the candy _hard_. It made an unsatisfying thud noise when it hit the wall, then fell to the floor.

Gabriel laughed. Abruptly, Sam stood. He didn't know exactly what he was going to do or try to do but he was tired of all these games. He was tired of angels (except Castiel, who he couldn't help but like) and tired of demons and tired of being a pawn. Tired of and angry at everything and everyone and he was going to take it out on the archangel before him. He took a determined step forward...

But in an instant Gabriel was in front of him. Without even having moved the angel was right in front of him. They would have been chest to chest had the angel been taller. Instead Sam glared down and Gabriel looked up, met his eyes.

"God helped me find you, Sammy. And this is what's going to happen. I'm going to help you boys. You and Dean and little brother. I'm going to help you three do whatever it takes to stop this..." He trailed off, waved his hand around. "Stop this apocalypse thing."

"You're lying," said Sam. It was automatic. And it was undoubtedly true. He wasn't sure what the angel formerly known to him as Trickster was up to, but he was sure it was not something good. Was not something that would benefit Team Free Will.

Gabriel smiled. But it wasn't one of his usual smiles. It was softer somehow. "No," he said. "I'm not lying. It seems all of your lonely angsting got Dad's attention. Or maybe it was something else. Maybe something has changed. I really don't know. All I know is that Joshua still talks to God and God told Joshua he needs me to help you and your cause. So I'm going to." He shrugged, shot a quick look at the curtained window.

Sam didn't chance looking away. But he could hear the rumble of the Impala as it was pulled into the space just outside the room. Dean was back.

"I thought you should know. I'll be around." Gabriel grinned then. "But don't think this means that I'm your compliant little servant or anything." There was the snap of car doors opening, then slamming shut. Footsteps and the jangling of keys. "Or that I won't still mess with you guys for the fun of it."

And at that, without warning, Gabriel reached out and wrapped fingers around both of Sam's wrists. He tugged and Sam found himself helpless against the angel's strength. With just that little tug he found himself moving _forward_ and _down_ and then the door was opening and Gabriel was kissing him hard and forceful, firm lips on his and a tongue swiping at his bottom lip and Sam was trying to pull away...

Then Gabriel was gone. Just gone. Sam let out a surprised little yelp and fell to his knees.

Dean was inside the room now, still holding his room key aloft and staring bug eyed at him. Castiel was next to Dean, frowning.

"He..." Sam started, trailed off and shook his head in an attempt to get his thoughts together. "He just appeared. Out of nowhere. I grabbed my knife but he turned it into a...candy bar."

Dean seemed to snap out of his stunned stupor at the sound of Sam's shaky voice. He hurried over to Sam and instead of helping him up crouched next to him. Put a steadying hand on his back. "What...what the _hell_, Sam? What was _that_?"

"He told me that he talked to Joshua. He told me that God wants him to help us."

Castiel had moved closer. Dean looked confused.

Sam took a deep breath and pushed himself up off the floor. Dean stood up with him, kept a firm grip on his arm.

"He said he's going to help us stop the apocalypse, Dean."

"He's lying," spat his older brother immediately.

Sam nodded. "Yeah. Probably."

"Definitely," said Dean. He looked furious. Sounded furious. "What was with the...? When we walked in. What the hell was he doing?"

Sam flushed. "He was just messing with us. He heard you and Castiel coming in and he grabbed my arms and he's really strong and..." Embarrassed, Sam shrugged and trailed off.

The hand that Dean wasn't gripping Sam's arm with rolled into a tight fist. Dean nodded. Didn't say anything else.

"Are you okay, Sam?" came Castiel's steady voice.

Sam turned to look at the angel and thought about the question. Gabriel's sudden reappearance wasn't exactly a good thing. The archangel was dangerous and unpredictable. But he hadn't done anything particularly terrible to Sam (unless Sam counted the kiss, but the archangel's visit could still have been a _lot_ worse). And Gabriel's unexpected and unwelcome presence was at least something to wrap his mind around other than what had happened in Heaven. It was something to investigate. And finally there was the very remote chance that what Gabriel had told him was true. That God still wanted to help Team Free Will in some small way, that he and Dean had misunderstood the message or that the Joshua they had found in Heaven had actually been an impostor.

Sam wasn't going to get his hopes up. This was the Trickster they were dealing with, after all. But still...he felt fine. He actually, for no reason he could discern, felt _better_ than he had in a while.

"Yeah," he said and realized his bottom lip was still damp where Gabriel had licked it. "I'm okay."


End file.
